Umbrella



B. J. JOSTES Jan. 2, 1940.

UMBRELLA Filed June 5, 1.939

Patented Jan. 2, 1940 I: i

UMBRELLA Bernard J. Jostes, St. Louis, Mo. Application June 5, 1939, Serial No. 277,349 4 Claims. (01. 135-22) This invention relates to umbrellas, and with erably a collar H with a rubber washer i2 is seregard to certain more specific features, to selfcured to the stem I at a point near the upper AUNITED STATES rAT Nrorrice opening umbrellas. end thereof, to prevent the cylinder l from com- Among the several objects of the invention ing entirely outside the cylinder 6, under the 5 may be noted the provision of a self-opening influence of the compression spring Ill. 26:5 umbrella of the class described'which is so con- Around the upper end of the cylinders l are structed as to increase substantially the life of radially pivoted supporting ribs 83, which join the fabric covering of the umbrella; the provito the main umbrella ribs 3, in a pivoted manner, sion of a self-opening umbrella wherein means at points substantially midway along the length are provided insuring against the undue straining of the said ribs 3. Around the upper edge of cyl- 10 of the fabric covering of the umbrella when the inder 6 are similarly pivoted, in radial manner, said umbrella is automatically opened; the prosupporting ribs M, the outer ends of which are vision of an umbrella of the class described which pivoted each in one of ribs it a short distance may be made quite compact in size relative to from the outerends of said ribs 13. The ribs the area thereby covered, when it is opened; and 7 !3 are preferably made channeLShape, while the 15 the provision of an umbrella of the class deribs I4 may be of rectangular cross Section.

scribed which is relatively simple and economical The mechanism as above described, including to construct. Other objects will be in part obvithe compression spring i0, and ribs it and i l, one and in part pointed out hereinafter, constitutes a self-opening type of umbrella that The invention accordingly comprises the eleis not novelwith the present applicant. It world's 20 ments and combinations of elements, features of in'the following manner:

construction, and arrangements of parts which When the telescoping cylinders 5 and l are will be exemplified in the structures hereinafter grasped in their Fig. 1 position, and drawn down describech and the scope of the appl cation of towards the handle 2, the triangular relationship which will be indicated in the following claims. of each set of ribs 3, i3 and it is such that sis--25 In the accompanying drawing, in which is the cylinders are brought closer to the handle illustrated one of various possible embodiments 2, they are f r e o t e p together, mof the invention, pressing the spring iii. -At the same time, this Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an umbrella emoperation folds the main umbrella ribs 3 down bodying the'present invention; towards the stem l, in the usual manner foreao I Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a rib end, showclosing an umbrella. Near the handle 2, the stem ing an alternative position in dotted lines; and, l is provided with a catch device in, which is Figures 3 and 4 are axial cross sections of provided with a hoolr I6 that engages a slot ll certain umbrella opening mechanisms. in the portion of restricted diameter 8 of cyl- Similar reference characters indicate correinder 5. By means of the catch it, the umbrellaagf, sponding parts throughout the several views of is held in closed position. However, if the urnthe drawing. brella is otherwise free of restraining influence,

Referring now more particularly to Fig. 1, nuand the catch I5 is released, the compression meral i indicates an umbrella stem, which is spring iii, in expanding apart the telescoped cyl- 40 provided. at its lower end with a suitable handle inders 6 and 1, opens the umbrella to its, fully- 2. Near the upper end of the stem 5 are radially opened, or Fig. 1 position.

pivoted the usual umbrella ribs 3, over which is As has beenindicated, self-opening umbrellas stretched the customary fabric or other sheetof this general construction, have long been material covering 5. known. However, they have not come into wide- Sliding on the stem I are a pair of telescoping spread use, principally because of the following 45 cylinders ii and I (see also Figures 3 and 4). lhe problem: When the umbrella is automatically lower cylinder 6 has a portion 8 of reduced d amopened by releasing the catch it, it snaps to its eter at its lower end, which closely embraces the open position with considerable force, as the restem i. The upper cylinder? has a closed upper lease of the compression spring ill cannot well end 9, which likewise closely embraces the stem be controlled to apply the force slowly. Conse- 50 l. The cylinder '5 telescopes within the cylinquently, each time a self-opening umbrella of der 6. Reacting between the opposite ends of this kind has been opened, the fabric covering 5 cylinders 6 and l is a compression spring iii, has been subjected to relatively high peripheral which normally tends to force the two cylnd-ers stresses, because of the rapidly separating outer 6 and 1 out of telescoping arrangement. Prefextremities of the ribs 3. With the fabrics avail- 55 able for umbrella covering, none of which are particularly strong, this has meant that the life of the covering of an umbrella of this type has been greatly shortened. In fact, in the past it has not been uncommon for the fabric coverings of self-opening umbrellas of this type to split or tear after no more than five or ten automatic openings. Consequent upon this problem, such automatic umbrellas have not come into widespread use, as no means has heretofore been found for solving this difficulty.

A principal object of the present invention is to solve the difiiculty described above, and at the same time to obtain an umbrella which is more useful in several other respects than previous self-opening umbrellas.

The present invention solves the aforementioned difiiculty in the following manner:

The main ribs 3 of the umbrella are usually made channel-shaped in cross section, for purposes of strength. This means that they will not undergo substantial bending from their initial curvature along their length. However, with the present invention, the outer extremities of these main ribs 3 -are flattened from their channel-shaped cross sections to provide relatively flat, flexible regions l3, as indicated in Fig. 2. The flat regions l8 preferably do not extend quite to the extreme tip of the ribs 3, but starts immediately thereafter, and extend inwardly for a distance of, say, four or five inches towards the stem of the umbrella.

These flat regions l8 are characterized by their resilient bendability, or flexibility, in a direction in which the usual channel-shaped cross section of the rib prevents flexibility. They readily yield, for example, from the solid line position of Fig. 2, to the dotted line position therein.

When used in an umbrella with the self-opening mechanism heretofore described, the strains upon rapid opening are taken up, not by the fabric covering 5, but by the flexing of the flat portions 18 of the ribs 3. This flexing occurs freely upon application of a force considerably less than the force necessary to tear the covering material. Consequently, instead of opening in such a manner as to subject the covering material to a sudden tearing force, as was heretofore the case, the umbrellas of the present invention open without subjecting the covering material to any substantial tearing force, since the flexible portions l8 of the main ribs 3 absorb the sudden force.

Such flexible-ended ribs 3 are not new per se with the present applicant, but have long been used in the so-called India-type umbrellas. However, to the best of applicants knowledge, such flexible-ended ribs have never heretofore been used in connection with a self-opening umbrella.

ft is obvious that the principle of the present invention applies not only to different types of self-opening mechanisms, all of which rely on a sudden-release-spring action for their opening effects, but to other types of flexible-ribs as well.

For. example, instead of the patent portions 18, the ribs 3 may be terminatedby sections of material flexible per se, such as whale bone or the like, and the advantageous effect of the present invention thereby secured.

In view of the above, it will be seen that the several objects of the invention are achieved and other advantageous results attained.

As many changes could .be made in the above constructions without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. In an umbrella, spring-operated self-opening means, and relatively flexible portions near the extremities of the umbrella ribs adapted to flex to protect the umbrella covering material from the strain incident to the sudden action of the self-opening means.

2. An umbrella comprising a stem, radially pivoted ribs, covering material over said ribs, said ribs having relatively flexible regionsnear their outer extremities, and spring-operated self-, opening means sliding on said stem and cooperating with said ribs to open the umbrella automatically from its closed position, said flexible portions flexing on such automatic opening to protect the umbrella covering material from the strains incident to the sudden action of the selfopening means.

3. An umbrella comprising a stem, radially pivoted ribs, covering material over said ribs, said ribs having relatively flexible regions near their outer extremities, and spring-operated selfopening means sliding on said stem and co.- operating with said ribs to open the umbrella automatically from its closed position, said flexiprotect the umbrella covering material fromthe strains incident to the sudden action of the selfopening means, said ribs having channel-shaped cross sections for the majority of their length,

with flattened regions ,providing the aforesaid flexible portions.

4. An umbrella comprising. a stem, radially pivoted ribs, covering material over said'ribs, said ribs having relatively flexible regions near their outer extremities, and spring-operated selfopening means sliding on said stem and cooperat- 40 ble portions flexing on such automatic openmgto ing with said ribs to open the umbrella automatically from its closed position, said flexible portions flexing on such automatic opening to protect the umbrella covering material from the strains incident to the sudden action of the selfopening means, said self-opening means comprising two telescoping cylinders sliding on the aforesaid stem, a compression spring tending to force said cylinders out of telescoping relation, and pivoted supporting ribs extending from each of said cylinders to and pivoted to said umbrella ribs.

BERNARD J. J OSTES. 

